If only dogs could talk...

My wife and I dog sit because we love dogs and don't have one right now. We've been watching 2 dogs for the last week who have stayed with us a few times before. In the past, they have been a joy to have in our home. This time, not so much.

They present as anxious, needy, they bark at the slightest noise, growl menacingly at each other when they're playing in the yard and have had daily accidents when we're away or at night when we're in our room without them.

We've have had several long conversation with each other and with them about what might be going on. Maybe their owner has a new partner or job and doesn't spent as much time with them. Maybe they moved to a new place and don't get as much exercise. Maybe they're mad at me because I yelled after finding a large poop in my kitchen or maybe we're too easy on them.

And we're not alone, everyone I know who has a dog talks to it constantly and is always trying to figure out what's going on inside that fury head. Interestingly though, my neighbor came up to me yesterday and told me he wasn't happy that I was keeping two obviously vicious dogs at my house because he has 2 small children.

They do look a little scary, one's a rottweiler and the other a pit bull, but they're actually very loving to us and to each other when they're in the house. They lay in my office with me all day and even sleep together in the same bed at night.

But my neighbor wasn't interested in any explanations and told me they needed to go and not come back. He'd decided that these dogs were dangerous and he didn't want them around. These same kinds of snap judgements and stereotypical reactions happen all the time in our schools with kids who struggle socially.

Kids get labeled "good" or "bad" very quickly and it's usually not a bad kid. It's a kid with a limited set of skills or one who comes from a challenging situation and is anxious everyday wondering what they may or may not find when they get home.

Many times, parents, teachers and school officials are quick to react whenever one of these labeled children acts out by punishing them or removing them without asking a single question to find out what's going on at home or wondering for a second what they might be doing to exacerbate the situation. What I want to know is what's going on inside their fury little heads. If only dogs could talk? Kids can, if we give them a chance.